The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-04

4 Question of Privilege BASED ON tn
London Times Articles.

! IN the House Of commons. TINS AFTER
noon called the Houses attention Ia a
breach of the privilege committed by the
London Times in an article charging
John Dillon with having told falsehood
when he denied the papers allegations
that he was an accomplice of Sheridan.
In this article the Times declares that
Dillon in his denial had either present
ed To Parliament a tissue of fictions he
| had never taken the trouble Ia examine
/ or had reached "A yet lower depth of dis
honesty. Sheridan was simultaneously
a member of murierous associations
AMI a close companion of leaders of the
constitutional agitation"
- Dillon. the Times article continues.
however convenient his memory. could
hardly have succeeded in entirely forget.
ting their personal relations. Dillon has
been called the Cbevalier Bavard of the
Irish National League. He has been sup.
| posed To stand apart i'm the public es-
TEEN from the rank and file of his party
| What confidence can now be reposed in
hi, disclaimers which show the best of
the Parnellite party Ia be destitute of
that quality which Englishmen rightly
prize above all others as an indespensi-
| ble foundation of character.
Mr.. Lewis concluded as follows:
Those wholesale charges of lying
| against Dillon constitute distinct
breach of privilege. move that the
| House take notice of them.
| DInilIip A Ibart M..p,z anatb.r
vative. seconded Mr.. Lewis motion.
Speaker Peele. answering Mr.. Dillon.
| said if the House decided that the article
quoted by Mr.. Lewis was a breach of
privilege. a motion could be made call
ing the offenders to the bar of the House
ting the breach.
w. III. Smith. First Lord of the Treas
ury, ON behalf of the Government.
moved that the House adjourn in order
that the questions of fact might be-
argued.
MIR. billions HOT INDIGNATIoN.
Mr.. Dillon said he desired To have the
question brought to an issue right off.
He denied the right of Mr.. Lewis tn take
the course of putting him ON the defen-
sive until the accuser was brought Ia the
bar of the House. When the publisher
of the Times stood at the bar he Dillon
would prove him as base and cowardly
a liar "a ever existed. Parnellite cheers.
Mr. Sexton said the Irish party had
been challenged much lately, and been
4 a. IL
Ienge. Now they took it up and insisted
upon an inquiry by the House. Cheers.
Mr. Sexton said il was for AN assembly
of English gentlemen to say whether for
the future its Irish members should be
exposed Ia the attack of every ruffian
calling himself an editor of newspaper.
The House should let the assailed MEM
bers have an inquiry by committee.
Then" said Mr.. Sexton, let the Times
bring forward its battalions of forgers
and liars. The Irish members will prove
that they have been subjected To a sys-
tenn Of moral assassination. They will
he able fully To Justify themselves"
Cheers.
1T WAS \ CONSERVATIVE PLOT.
Mr.. Bradlaugh opposed Mr.. Smiths
motion To adjourn and charged the gov
ernment with conniving at the offering
of Mr.. Lewis motion and that the debate
was concerted plan to place in the
hands of the conservatives weapons to
assist them in the passage of the odious
Coercion Bill.
Sir William Vernon Harc"urt said that
though ostensibly Mr.. Lewis motion was
against the Times. it was i'm reality
raised for the purpose of attacking
MIR. Dillon and was a covert method of
accusation by one section of the members
of the House against another. Yet when
the Irish members asked for an instant
opportunity Of meeting the charges. it
was sought by the government To ad-
jOurn the House.
Mr.. Holmes. Attorney General for Ire
land. deemed that the motion was made
with the connivance of the government.
He had never heard of the motion until
it was made. On behalf of the govern
ment he disclaimed an intention Of post
pOning the debate for party purposes.
If the publisher of the Times was at once
called to the bar of the House, the House
would be able to hear evidence in sup
port of charges and would he required
To decide the question off hand. In the
absence of the publisher or other
responsible persons motion To adjourn
for inquiry was the hest way to arrive at
the truth. Cheers.
Mr.. Gladstone opposed the motion to
adjourn. He said Mr.. Dillon had been
charged with having stated deliberate
falsehood while addressing the House.
IL anything constituted a breach Of priv
ilege, this was a breach. The parties
accused demanded an immediate trial
1t was impossible that the House
coule resist this demand. Ii had
always been the custom for the House
itself to proceed To deal without delay
with a motion relating To break of
privilege, afterwards. in special cases.
appointing a select committee of inquiry
THE GOVERNMENT PREVAILS.
Division was then taken on the motion
Ia adjourn, resulting in vote Of 213 in
favor Of the motion and Ia against il.
MIR. Smith moved that on Thursday the
the House resume consideration of the
question. Mr.. Sexton moved that it
be taken up tomorrow. Mr.. Dillon
then demanded to know whether the
editor of the Times would be brought to
the bar of the House. Mr.. Smith could
only say that the usual course would b.
followed. IL was then agreed to take
the question up again tomorrow.